to think that people who

[RuleBritannia]

put anything through your letter box should ensure that it goes right through, drops on the floor and the letter box closes. I'm fed up with pizza leafets, nespapers, advertisements blocking keeping our letter box open and letting the cold air in.

Do you live down the road from me, Rule?

About 10 minutes ago I heard the letterbox rattle and found exactly the same thing - it annoyed me too.

But I was wondering if (a) they don't want their fingers caught in a 'snappy' flap (b) they're doing the job as quickly as they can, so don't bother to push things in properly or (c) more sinisterly, leave the stuff half in/half out and if the letterbox stays that way for hours, it means there's nobody in the house - a sort-of sign for potential burglars [paranoid emoticon]

So, no, YANBU

Happens here too. Drives me nuts.

Hold item in one hand. Open flap with other. Hold flap open while shoving item all the way in. Let flap go.

It's not difficult.

YANBU
I once helped a friend deliver thousands (well, maybe hundreds) of leaflets. She advised that I bring a wooden spoon to poke the leaflets right through the letter box, so an easy solution is there.
All went well with the leaflet posting until a particularly scary dog barked at me from the other side of the door and I dropped the spoon through the letter box! Always wonder what the homeowners made of finding a wooden spoon on their mat when they got home

thetokengirl - can I ask why you couldn't lift the letterbox (or push it fully open) and hold it open with one hand while pushing a leaflet through with the other hand?

Is it because a dog might be waiting?

Some letter boxes can really cut, it's happened to me and really painful with cold hands!

YASoNBU!

This drives e crazy! I wouldn't mind so much if it was just the guy that drops of pizza leaflets that did it, he has no real reason to care and is probably being paid pennies.

But when the actual postman does it, every single day, when post contains personal and identifying information or bank cards or medical appointments, you would think that the lazy bastard could take two more seconds out of the time he is paid for to make sure my post actually ends up in my sodding house!

I think some post boxes are a bit vicious, which would make a spoon a sensible option. Some people have letter boxes in very wierd places too Rofl at Tokengirl's spoon Scooby-Doo stylee mystery...

JustHeCate
Because some letter box flaps are very snappy and because of the scary dogs .
I finished the rest of the leaflets without spoon and it really was a lot more time consuming to do it carefully to stop having my fingers chopped off.

So as well as spare knickers I have to have a wooden spoon with me too? Gosh, finishing school never taught me that, I should get out more.

This is why I don't have a letterbox in my door.

Some letterboxes put up a good fight though. I've tried to use ours and it is very resistant to fulfilling it's designated purpose in life.

It's never bitten anybody, but to regurgitates if it thinks it's opponent is weaker. It has bristles that attach to post like limpets to rocks too.

It well be sorry come the summer, when we get a new door with a friendlier eco flap fitted.

it regurgitates...

Frankly, even from some of the posts here, I think it boils down to laziness. If your hands are cold, wear gloves not mittens. If there is a dog inside the letter box, just post through quickly or have something sharp on the end of your gloves.

YANBU

It's the same with free newspapers

The Police and Neighbourhood watch around here keep appealing to the companies to stop doing it because it makes it quite obvious a house is empty all day, due to the amount of crap sticking out of the letterboxes.

YANBU! It is leaflet central on my road. I get at least three every single day, except Christmas Day :( I hate them.

I've put leaflets through doors and it's bloody hard in some boxes - especially when ti's cold.

People with Brushes on the inside should be shot
and flaps that are hard to open (those stiff ones or the ones with little hinges) should be hanged, drawn and quartered.

Put a notice above the letterbox:

'If you don't snap my flap
I won't read your crap'

How do you get your post, then, TheParan0idAndr0id?

I totally agree, WorraLiberty, as I said up-thread, stuff half hanging out of letterboxes all day makes it so obvious that nobody's at home.

Where we live, TheCU, we'd have to have that notice in about 15 different languages - and they still wouldn't take any notice.

seperate letter box on the front wall.

Ah. Right. Good idea TP0A0

YANBU - and then they waltz out leaving the gate wide open....

...or walk across a planted bed to get to the next door neighbour. The times I've been out there to bark.......!